Training of the Guard

As the controversy over charges of racial harassment brews within the Harvard security guard unit, the training of the guards--and their supervisors--has come under new scrutiny.

Many guards say inadequate training and supervision may be at the root of the alleged incidents of harassment. Whether harassment occurred or not, tensions are high and morale is low in the guard division of the Harvard Police Department.

After months of denials by other University officials, President Neil L. Rudenstine agreed last week to reopen an investigation of charges that minority guards were harassed by their supervisors.

Calling tensions in the unit a "serious problem" for the College, Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III last week urged police officials to improve training and supervision in the security department.

Interviews last week with security officials at other universities showed that Harvard may lag far behind in the sophistication of its sensitivity training, and in the qualifications of supervisors.

The situation became more significant when seven current and former security guards said last spring they were harassed by their superiors. The alleged harassment included verbal abuse, unusually close monitoring during shifts, and retaliation for complaints.

Rudenstine deemed the charges "serious enough" to warrant a "second look" by the general counsel's office, which cleared supervisors of wrongdoing in an investigation last spring.

Rudenstine's decision came after denials by a host of University officials including Police Chief Paul E. Johnson and acting General Counsel Frank J. Connors. Connors last month called the harassment allegations a "dead issue".

Although newly appointed General Counsel Margaret H. Marshall will not take office until next month, it is clear that her investigation will address training and supervision if it is to satisfy disgruntled guards.

Police officials involved in the training of guards and supervisors would not answer questions from The Crimson last week.

Johnson, who speaks at the training seminars, and Assistant Director for Finance and Administration Brian D. Sinclair '62, who handles most personnel issues, did not return more than a dozen phone calls last week.

In previous interviews, however, Johnson has acknowledged that security supervisor Donald P. Behenna had undergone a "retraining" process after he allegedly harassed a Black graduate student working under him. Behenna has been the subject of series of similar complaints.

Police and security officials interviewed during the past week were unaware of an internal retraining procedure, but were able to outline the annual training program for Harvard security guards.

For one week each year, usually in the summer, Harvard security guards are taken off their posts and put through a 40-hour program which includes CPR, first aid, operation of fire alarms and fire extinguishers, and speeches on everything from incident reports to gay rights.

The annual training sessions parallel the instruction that new guards receive. A new guard is considered a "trainee" during the first six months on the job, a probation period during which they may be fired for any reason.

New guards learn the job requirements while working with veteran guards during those six months, and they are closely watched by supervisors.

In recent years, the annual training sessions have devoted more time to issues of sensitivity. During this year's session, many guards say ears perked up when Kevin Bryant, a Black patrol officer, talked about race relations with the guards.

"The last few years, they've stressed sensitivity," say one veteran guard. "I don't know if it's management's decision, or pressure from the University."

All told, guards say the training program in recent years has devoted from three to four hours to sensitivity issues.

While Harvard's growing emphasis on sensitivity training is consistent with national trends, industry experts say the University's approach may not go far enough.

One senior official at a national law enforcement training program, Jacob Haber, says universities should require a minimum of 24 hours of training on cultural diversity--eight times what Harvard currently offers.

"Law enforcement officers must be aware that in the community they will happen upon people different than themselves," says Haber, whose program is based at the University of Delaware. "Too many problems result from misunderstanding."

In addition, Harvard's system of training security guards differs from procedures at other Ivy League universities. The University's security guard division--which employs 108 guards, a quarter of which are minorities--is also much larger those at other schools.

Although the annual training program at Brown University also lasts a week, the 20 guards there receive police training, which includes instruction in handcuffing and the use of Mace, according to Brown Police Sgt. Steven St. Jean.

St. Jean said sensitivity training is included in the 40-hour training sessions. He said Brown guards and police officers meet frequently with other groups on campus, including minorities and gays.

Cornell does not employ any security guards. Instead, it uses police officers to carry out duties that at Harvard would be performed by guards, according to Cornell training coordinator Phil Mospan.

Cornell officers must undergo 40 weeks of training before they may begin work, Mospan said.

Mospan said his approach to sensitivity training is much different than Harvard's. Instead of holding department dominated sensitivity sessions, Mospan said he sends "four or five officers at a time" to university-wide workshops where they interact with members of the Cornell community.

"If you give them training as a group, they'll tend to band together and resist," Mospan said.

Mospan said that in his two years on the job, none of Cornell's 41 police officers have been charged with harassment of any kind. Seventy-five percent of the university's police have taken special day-long courses in sexual harassment and cultural awareness, Mospan said.

While many Harvard guards are satisfied with their training, some have criticized the training and qualifications of their supervisors.

In fact, several department employees say guard supervisors do not attend the annual training sessions.

In addition, several veteran guards and former supervisors say there is no formal training program for supervisors at all.

"It's left to the other supervisors to train [the new supervisor]," said one veteran employee. "They don't force you to do it."

Harvard security guards used to be supervised by police sergeants and lieutenants, graduates of police academies.

Now, neither Manger of Operations for Security Robert J. Dowling nor any of the five guard supervisors is a police officer.

None of the veteran employees interviewed could explain the trend toward civilian supervisors. Nor could they explain Behenna's promotion to supervisor despite his disciplinary record, or security supervisor Thomas F. Henaghan's promotion, which occurred immediately after his probation period.

Many guards interviewed this week were optimistic about the prospect for improving the training program and standards for supervisors.

"For two years, we've been trying to get this issue solved," said one longtime employee who was hopeful about the new investigation.

"I think they thought in time the problems would go away."